Rudy Winston

Rudy Winston has over 16 years experience with Canon USA's Pro Products team, and has been responsible during that time for training Canon's staff on new products, creating presentations for customers and dealers, numerous writing projects, and providing technical assistance to professional and amateur photographers.

New firmware for new lens with older cameras

It’s refreshing to see updates provided by a manufacturer that continue to support older, discontinued products, which you or someone you know may still be using today. Such is the case with Canon’s previous high-end digital SLR cameras: the EOS-1D Mark III, EOS-1D Mark IV and the full-frame EOS-1Ds Mark III.

New firmware is now available for free download from the Canon USA web site for these cameras. It fully enables autofocus at the center AF point at f/8, if any of these cameras are used with the newly introduced EF 200–400mm f/4L IS Extender 1.4x, in conjunction with an accessory EF 1.4x or 2x tele extender.

You can use this lens alone with any of these cameras with or without its built-in 1.4x extender in place and with full AF capabilities. But here’s what the firmware updates will allow:

AF at the center AF point, if the lens’ built-in extender is in place and combined with any version of the accessory EF 1.4x tele extender.

AF at the center AF point, if the 200–400mm f/4L lens is used with an accessory EF 2x tele extender without its built-in extender in place.

There are separate versions of this firmware upgrade for each of the above-mentioned cameras, so be sure to download and install the one for your specific camera model. This firmware clarifies communication between the new 200–400mm lens and these cameras, allowing the AF at f/8 with the center AF point and can be found below:

Autofocus at f/8 at the center AF point has been a feature of all of Canon’s 35mm film and digital SLRs using the sophisticated 45-point AF system, back to the EOS 3 camera. No upgrades are needed for other older EOS cameras to focus at f/8 with this lens.

So if you’re using one of these workhorse cameras from years past and are considering buying or renting the new 200–400mm f/4L lens, this firmware will completely enable your camera for AF if you combine it with an external accessory extender.